Out of the way place. Whitechapel might be the closest tube, but it's a ramble through nondescript residential areas - easy to get lost. Aldgate East is more direct, if farther. Cramped shop, trip over bottles, great selection, helpful staff. Well worth visiting if you have the time to get there.

I prefer this to Pitfield, not because its selection is better (Pitfield probably beats Bottles on Belgians; vice versa on the rest of the world), but because it is always a sense of adventure being here. Amid the London drunks, one of whom walked in while I was there and asked to buy "super-strength lager", Gavin has great suppliers keeping him stocked with Westvleteren and tons of other rarities. Found some Weltenberger there one day, plus some rare countries including Cuba. Gavin has worked very hard here yet does not seem to be doing any more than scraping by. A place I am very happy to patronize--although you have to plan on spending an hour each way getting there from central/"tourist" London (a bit less if you're on the east end like the Tower or Bank).